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Police: Woman runs over baby's dad, drives in to bayou

Police have arrested the mother of a 6-month-old baby after they say she drove her car into a Texas bayou. She is also accused of running over the baby's father in a parking lot. Teens fishing nearby rescued the baby and captured it on video.

Rucks Russell, KHOU-TV
8:42 a.m. EDT May 29, 2014

Latonya Kirven, 30, of Galveston, Texas is accused of running down a 70-year-old man with her car and driving while intoxicated with her infant boy in the car.(Photo: (Photo: Galveston County Jail))

GALVESTON, Texas — A woman who drove into a bayou with her 6-month-old boy in the car first ran over a man more than 40 years her senior who was the father of her child, police say.

Latonya Kirven, 30, had an argument Monday with Matt Grey, 70, before hitting a parked car and running him down in the street, according to Galveston Police. About 20 minutes later, she drove into Offatts Bayou with her child strapped in his car seat.

"Those drugs have got her mind. If she was herself, she wouldn't have done it. Those drugs have her flipping out like that," said Jamie Williams, the victim's granddaughter. "My grandfather's arm is broken and his neck is broken."

Grey is clinging to life in a hospital.

Kirven and her child are fine after four teens who were fishing rescued them from the water.

"I was struggling with her to get the baby from her," Tyler Arcizo said. "She wouldn't give him up. She kept pulling him from me and putting him under water."

Witnesses said after the baby was rescued, Kirven started doing the back stroke and took off her clothes.

"She was acting crazy. It wasn't normal," Arcizo said.

Kirven, who has prior convictions for drug possession, was charged Tuesday with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and driving while intoxicated with a child in the vehicle. She remains Wednesday in Galveston County jail on bonds totaling $160,000.

The motive for the rampage remains unclear, police said, and they are still investigating the tangled relationship between Kirven and Gray. But the suspect's grandmother blames the incidents on drugs.

"She's had a very rough life," Roberta Walker said. "You can't live your life if you're on drugs. You can't live your life."